Saved By You - Giveaway

Saved By You - Week Blitz

By Helen Conrad

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: January 14, 2014

  

Image is everything

Bad boy Kane's image is what gets him the job protecting Annie and her Hawaiian ranch but it's an image he's restless to shake.  This time he wants to get the girl--not the blame.

Annie Ventura needs Kane to be a tough guy, but what she falls for is the tenderness.  Now she has to figure out how to handle both sides of this irresistible man who is dredging up secrets from her past.

Kane Carrington can't resist a call for help from the girl he secretly loved in high school.  He goes back to his Hawaiian home, only to find he's still the "bad boy" to her golden girl image.  But now he's a man, not a boy and Annie Ventura can't resist him.  But does he have to destroy her memories of her dead husband in order to seal the deal?

As they work together to get to the bottom of the harassment she’s been experiencing, memories return and emotions are rekindled.  Annie learns that protecting the past for her son just might lead to her losing their future.  Kane begins to understand his family and his place in it—and how important it is to build bridges instead of blowing them up.

SAVED BY YOU is book #1 of  Destiny Bay Romances-The Islanders.

The full set:

Destiny Bay Romances~Islanders

Book 1-Saved By You  - Add to Goodreads

Book 2-Found By You – Add to Goodreads

Book 3- Tempted By You – Add to Goodreads

Book 4-Rescued By You - Add to Goodreads

EXCERPT

Emotions were usually pretty deep with him. He didn't like to let them get too near the surface. But for just a moment, he'd stopped and turned slowly, taking it all in, remembering a past that could never be again, missing it, missing home and actually feeling a slight stinging in his eyes.

And that was when she got him.

"Okay, you bastard, hold it right there. Don't make a move."

At the same moment the voice hit him, both barrels of a shotgun were jammed very hard and very painfully into the small of his back, and he groaned in disbelief. He hadn't even heard her coming up behind him. He shook his head. He was losing it.

"I'd like to blast a hole right through you. How would you like that, you slime ball?"

"Hey, hold on just a minute..."

The barrel jabbed him. "Don't try to talk, dirt bag. Just start walking. I'm going to walk you right off my land, and then I'm going to call the cops. And the next time you come slinking around I'm going to blow your brains out. You got that?" She jabbed him again to get him going toward the road. "And you can tell Bart Carlson I'll do the same for any other of his pathetic flunkies that he sends over here to screw up my life."

It took only one quick twist and a little leverage, and he had her on the ground, his big body holding hers down, the shotgun wrenched from her grasp and sent spinning in the dust.

But that didn't mean she gave up. Not by any means. She fought like a wildcat, spitting and scratching at him with fury. It took both his hands to hold down hers, and the full length of his body to hold her captive.

"Cut it out, Annie," he growled at her, annoyed that she wasn't giving up even once she'd realized his superior strength. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The sound of her name was what seemed to still her for a moment. She stared up at him and he stared down at her, wondering if she had any idea that they had known each other before.

She'd changed. But her hair was still blond, still a mass of shimmering tangles that seemed to go on forever. Her body was still slim and lithe, but there was a strength to her he wouldn't have thought she would ever possess. She was still squirming beneath him, but it was beginning to feel good. He glanced at her cotton blouse, all askew and revealing the soft curve of her breast and a tiny strip of lace.

"Don't," she spat at him fiercely.

He looked up. Her face was older, naturally. The crystal blue eyes he remembered so vividly were wary, haunted by pain and struggle she couldn't have dreamed of in her younger days. And she wasn't laughing. In his memories, she was always laughing.

There was no sign of recognition. Didn't anybody remember him? Had he been erased from the minds of an entire community?

Helen Conrad

Helen Conrad is an award-winning, best-selling author (over 15 million books sold) of heart-felt--and often humorous--contemporary romances, most of which are spiced with a little heat.  She's published more than 99 romances under various pseudonyms with Harlequin, Silhouette, Mills and Boon, Loveswept, and others and is currently revamping the best of her backlist, creating the Destiny Bay Romances Series about a rich, influential family living along the Central California Coast, Arizona and the Hawaiian Islands.  The Carringtons are good-looking, fast-driving, hard-hitting men and women whose impulses lead them into trouble--and inevitably, into love--every time.  Saved By You is the story of Kane Carrington who returns to Hawaii to settle old scores and revive a lost love.

Authors Links

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Buy Link

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Giveaway

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Second Chance Bride - Guest Review

 Review by Kimberly Field

Second Chance Bride by Trish Morey is the second book in the Montana Born Bride Series. I am a sucker for bride books and this series is going to be one of my favorites.

Second Chance Bride had me intrigued me from the first page.  I could tell that it was not going to be your typical bride or jilted bride story and boy was I right! I loved that it opens in Australia, and could picture Mitch and hear that sexy Aussie accent. Scarlett just delighted me with the way she worked things out in her head.

Scarlett and Mitch meet under quite unusual circumstances and then go their separate ways after a not so great beginning only to run into each other again on the street after Mitch helps save her from a drunk. Scarlett offers to buy Mitch coffee (really that is all she can afford.) Scarlett is in Australia, because she wanted to surprise her cyber boyfriend only to be surprised herself. She had only bought a one way ticket and needs to get home to Marietta Montana to help take care of her ill mom and give her sister a break. Scarlett had been trying to find work so that she can get the air fare. Mitch feels like he needs to help her because she reminds him of his sister (he wishes someone would have helped her) and offers her a business proposition. Scarlett would pretend to be his girlfriend at a wedding where he is the best man and in exchange all expenses would be paid and he would buy her plane ticket home. Mitch had been dreading going to the wedding because the groom is marrying his ex-girlfriend and at least with Scarlett there it will much more enjoyable.  Of course neither of them had counted on their undeniable spark flying chemistry as they get to know each other during all the festivities.

I loved this story; it was fast paced, filled with charming characters, sexy, sweet and everything you want in a great romance story. I also enjoyed getting to know about parts of Australia that I had never heard of and I liked the comparisons to Montana and the story does end in the lovely Marietta. I wish this was real town I could move to. This was the first book I have read from Trish Morey and it won’t be the last.  I highly recommend it!

About the Author:

I'm a USA Today Bestselling author of thirty Harlequin Presents romances, 
all featuring  strong alpha heroes and the women who can tame them,
(with some pretty hot sex along the way:-)) 

A couple of exciting new releases - Book Five of the Chatsfield Continuity from Harlequin Presents - Tycoon's Temptation - set mostly in South Australia's world famous Coonawarra wine growing region.
Tycoon's Temptation will be on the shelves in September or October.

Plus, in an exciting new venture, I've a novella launching with Tule Publishing - Second Chance Bride will be an April 7 release.  

 I've also contributed to a gorgeous little romance writing craft book, put together by the wonderful Jane Porter, with contributions from some of my favourite authors. It's a nifty little book full of helpful advice and exercises, with some fabulous insights. It reads like you're sitting down having a natter with a great group of authors and it's available from Amazon. If you're an aspiring writer, do yourself a favour and pick up this little gem.

Enjoy! 

Connect with the author at:

Website * Tule Website * Facebook * Tule Facebook * TuleTwitter

What a Bride Wants - Review

Montana Born/Spring Brides 1

WHAT A BRIDE WANTS by Kelly Hunter - Blurb

What a bride wants…

Ella Grace Emerson adores her father, but he keeps trying to marry her off to every eligible rancher in Montana. When he puts an ad in the paper on her behalf – for a docile house-husband – Ella retaliates with one of her own, pinned to the noticeboard of the local saloon. No husband required, housebroken or otherwise. What she wants is the perfect lover.

What a bride needs…

Newcomer Cam Sawyer is perfectly willing to tear up the sheets with Ella and be her partner in chaos. She wants a bad boy and he’s had experience aplenty. But what she really needs is a strong and loving partner, and until Sawyer stops running from his past he can never be that.

Sawyer’s the one Ella wants. But can he be the man she needs?

Review by Marlene Engel

Samuel T. Emerson is anxious to see his daughter settle down and have children.  So much so, that he took it upon himself to place an ad in the local paper with a title that read … DOCILE HOUSEHUSBAND WANTED.  So, you can imagine the shock his daughter felt when she walked into the local pub and everyone’s eyes were on her.  Unaware of the ad, and the fact that it was tacked up on the bulletin board there, Ella was curious as to all of the stares.  When the waitress informed her of the ad, instead of getting mad or embarrassed, Ella decides to write up a post of her own with the title … PERFECT LOVER WANTED and place it next to her father’s ad on the bulletin board. 

All of the attention of the ad and the post that Ella made, brought out the curiosity of Sawyer, the hot Australian bartender who has caught the eye of many the women in Marietta.   So when Ella and Sawyer start spending time, it doesn’t take long for the people of Marietta to talk.  What is Ella, daughter of Samuel T. Emerson of Emerson Holding, doing with Sawyer, a man who recently came into town and nobody really knows anything about?  Is he after her money?  Where’s he from?  And why is he living in one of the bunkhouses that Ella’s father owns?

I can’t even begin to express how much I loved reading this story.  Ella’s personality and spunk was contagious and Sawyer’s sexiness was hard to resist.  There was no doubt a spark between the two.  I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story, amazing characters and that’s located in a cozy town.  A must read for all!

About the Author:

Accidentally educated in the sciences, Kelly Hunter didn't think to start writing romances until she was surrounded by the jungles of Malaysia for a year and didn't have anything to read. Eventually she decided that writing romance suited her far better than throwing sterile screw-worm flies out of airplane windows, and changed careers.

Kelly now lives in Australia, surrounded by lush farmland and family, 2 dogs, 3 miniature cows, a miniature pig, a 3-legged cat and a small flock of curious chickens. There are still flies, but their maggots don’t feed on flesh. Bargain.

Kelly is a USA Today bestselling author, a three time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and loves writing to the short contemporary romance form. 

Connect with the author at:

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Connect with Tule Publishing at:

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Sprinkled with Kisses - Book Tour & Giveaway

 

The Cupcake Diaries:

Sprinkled With Kisses

By: Darlene Panzera

Releasing March 18^th, 2014

Blurb               

Stacey McIntyre thinks she’ll pay off her debt in no time when Andi, Rachel, and Kim ask her to manage Creative Cupcakes’ stand on the beach. But selling cupcakes isn’t as easy as it seems. Especially when Dave Wright, the handsome owner of an ice cream truck proves he’s as determined as the dive-bombing seagulls to take away her sales.

Dave’s done with dating and done with beautiful, headstrong women like Stacey. Then the refrigeration on his truck breaks and instead of gloating, Stacey helps him out of a tight spot…and is rewarded with a kiss.

Now Stacey isn’t sure where they stand. Will Dave push her back into the role of rival? Or can she convince Mr. Wright that working together will lead to sweeter rewards?

Purchase book at:

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Guest Post by Darlene Panzera:

Who's Your Hero?

     "Make Your Dreams Come True" is the main theme for The Cupcake Diaries series, but before the main characters can succeed, they must overcome flaws in their identity and discover their self-worth. This is also true of Stacey McIntyre, the heroine of The Cupcake Diaries: Sprinkled with Kisses.

     After Stacey McIntyre's town was flattened by a tornado when she was fourteen, she and her parents moved around a lot. This made it hard for Stacey to form lasting friendships or get a date. She also became withdrawn, self-conscious, and awkward in social situations—never knowing what to say or how to act.

     Throughout the humorous tale, The Cupcake Diaries: Sprinkled with Kisses, Stacey dreams of being a confident, capable, take-charge type of woman like Kate Jones, the heroine from her favorite action-adventure novels by author DV Berkom. Whenever she finds herself in a jam or fearful situation, Stacey asks herself, "What would Kate do?"

     In the beginning of the story Stacey thinks, ' Kate Jones would be tempted to kick her whiny, fearful butt and tell her to stand up for herself and get a life. Except knowing what she should do and doing it were two different things. She simply wasn't Kate.'

     Stacey soon finds a smooth round rock, names it Kate, and places it on the counter of the cupcake stand to encourage her to be strong and courageous. And as Stacey faces challenge after challenge in her quest to sell cupcakes on the beach, she slowly begins to take on the heroic qualities she admires about her literary heroine. But when Creative Cupcakes puts Stacey in charge at the State Cupcake Competition and chaos erupts in the kitchen, will she be able to make the final transformation into the type of person she's always wanted to be?

     We often admire character traits in others that we ourselves would like to have. We eagerly buy magazines and newspapers with photos of beautiful Hollywood movie stars, top-level athletes, influential political figures, and the smartest, wealthiest, and most inspirational of society.

     Who do you most admire and why? Has anyone in your life inspired you to change for the better? Do you wear a bracelet, or keep a photo or physical object to represent admirable qualities you would like to embrace? I'd love to hear your comments!

About the Author

Darlene Panzera is the winner of the “Make Your Dreams Come True” contest sponsored by Avon Books. The win led her novella, The Bet, to be published with Debbie Macomber’s Family Affair. The award-winning novella (chosen in a blind-read by Debbie Macomber) was then published as a full length novel retitled, Bet You’ll Marry Me. Born and raised in New Jersey, Darlene is now a resident of the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her husband and three children. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, two horses, and loves: camping, hiking, photography, and lazy days at the lake.

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Look After You - Cover Reveal & Giveaway

Look After You

By Elena Matthews

The birth of your firstborn child is supposed to be the best day of your life, a joyous occasion. Well that’s what twenty-eight year old Ava Jacobson thought. That is until her life takes a drastic turn for the worse and her daughter is born three months earlier than planned, weighing only two pounds, two ounces. 

A distraught Ava is thrown into the deep end of motherhood and instead of being able to hold her baby like other moms, she has to sit back and watch her daughter fight for her life in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, while her fiancé, Sebastian Gilbert is in the midst of a messy war in Afghanistan. Ava is left to pick up the pieces with the help of her only friend, Caleb Summers. 

When her vulnerable state hits an all time high, she finds solace in an unexpected pair of intense green eyes. Eyes that belong to her daughter's doctor, Ashton Bailey, and she falls, like she has never fallen before. However, for the sake of Sebastian she desperately tries to fight against her newfound feelings for Ashton, but eventually the pull between the two is so strong that it is impossible for her to stay away. 

Then when Ava is convinced things can't possibly get any worse, a cloud of blackness closes in on her as the secret demons of her past come back to haunt her, with news that will irreversibly shake her entire world forever. 

As Ava’s roller coaster ride she calls life begins to circle the drain, she quickly learns that even through the darkness of evil, there is always that one person who will look after you and have the ability to pull you away from the brink of no return, when nobody else can. 

About the Author:

Independent author Elena Matthews was born in Manchester, United Kingdom, where she lives with her other half, but even after eight wonderful years, she is still waiting for that epic proposal. Elena enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, especially her four-year-old niece, who is the apple of her eye. (A little monkey too!) Elena is positive she is the love child of Jekyll and Hyde. Thankfully, the joys of being an auntie, means she can hand her back to her mum and dad when she's all tired out! (Elena, not her niece.) 

Elena spent three years of her life at Salford University studying media production, to decide at the end of her degree she no longer wanted to pursue a career in the media. Instead, it took her another two and half years to realise her calling. Writing. Now she lives and breathes her writing. She even had to tell her colleagues at work whenever she is found daydreaming at her desk, it’s because she is conversing with her characters.

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A Promise at BlueBell Hill - Review & Giveaway

A Promise at Bluebell Hill

Valentine Valley Series

By Emma Cane

Welcome to Valentine Valley, where romance blooms and love captivates even the most guarded of hearts . . .

From the moment Secret Service agent Travis Beaumont strides into the town and through the door of Monica Shaw's flower shop, she feels a sizzle of attraction. After years of putting everyone else's needs first, Monica is ready to grab hold of life. If she can just persuade the ultimate protector to let his own walls down for once . . .

The President's son is getting married in Valentine Valley, and Travis should be avoiding all distractions . . . not fantasizing about a forthright, sexy-as-hell florist. Especially when she's keeping secrets that could jeopardize his assignment. But just this once, Travis is tempted to put down the rulebook and follow his heart—right to Monica's door.

Roses are red, violets are blue, and in Valentine Valley, love will always find you.

Buy Links

Amazon * B&N * BAM

Review by K.T Sullivan

Monica Shaw is a florist about to hit thirty in a small town. She’s not desperate to find a man, but her friends are pairing up and having children. She wishes them happiness and wishes to join their ranks. One day, a handsome stranger is walking in and out of all the businesses on her street. Good thing she decides to have lunch outside. She waves at to him and he walks up to her. He’s even better looking up close. A military precision air about him appeals to her. He’s pleasant, but never smiles. Travis Beaumont has set up a Secret Service detail at the local hotel. The President’s son is marrying Ashley Ludlow in two weeks. It promises to be the biggest happening in Valentine Valley ever, but it’s a secret. Travis hints about it to Monica because her shop is in a strategic location. The vantage point from her apartment window above her shop is perfect for watching the street. He asks her advice for a place for his team to unwind. She suggests a local bar. Hoping Travis will be there; she goes and dances with a guy from his team. Travis has put together files on everyone in the town and comes across a picture of Monica at a rally. She and others in the town have been outspoken advocates for environmental issues. When news of the President’s arrival is in the local paper, some see it as a perfect time to stage a protest. A cache of mammoth bones have been found and the ground needs to be protected. Travis will only be in town for a short time, but he and Monica can’t help their attraction. Will one of them blink so they can be together?

Monica is a fun character who carries a secret for her twin sister. She holds family and friends very close and dear. Travis tries to be the tough guy, but melts whenever Monica is near. They make a sweet couple. The older widows in the town continue to shock and entertain the residents. Light cute read.

This is the fourth book in a series. Many of the characters are recurring and it’s best to read the books in order.

Author Info

EMMA CANE grew up reading and soon discovered that she liked to write passionate stories of teenagers in space. Her love of “passionate stories” has never gone away, although today she concentrates on the heartwarming characters of Valentine, her fictional small town in the Colorado Rockies. Now that her three children are grown, Emma loves spending time crocheting and singing (although not necessarily at the same time), and hiking and snowshoeing alongside her husband Jim and two rambunctious dogs Apollo and Uma

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The Memory Child - Review & Giveaway

Review by Darcey Pickett

A story of love, happiness and the internal struggle of an expectant mother. 

Children bring happiness…Brian and Diane were living their dreams, successful and happily in love.  Diane finds out she is pregnant, and panic settles in.  Brian is thrilled a baby would make their lives complete.

Brian has been recently promoted and his new role takes him to London.  Diane also is moving along in her career, when she finds out she is pregnant.  Brian leaves for London; Diane is left to deal with her deals and internal struggle with her new pregnancy.  With the arrival of her daughter, she realizes what a blessing a child truly can be.

This was a very real story, dealing with some of the untold things some women struggle with while pregnant.  I enjoyed the journey, because of the realness and also that is was not a straightforward love story.  It was a story that had the twist and turns I crave while reading a book.  Ms. Holmes has a remarkable way of telling a story without leaving you feeling lost or empty inside.

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About the Author:

Steena Holmes grew up in a small town in Canada and holds a bachelor’s degree in theology. She is the author of eleven novels and novellas, including Finding Emma, for which she was awarded a National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012. She currently lives in Calgary with her husband and three daughters, and loves to wake up to the Rocky Mountains each morning.

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